[ppd]

Hi
Attatched photo (I hope ) is of Matilda, my tamworth sow. She is six years old and before coming to me has had two litters per year. Due to wanting her to settle in and giving her a break, she has missed having a litter but I hope to put her to a boar to have piglerts in the spring. Now she is six and I am fully aware that fertility decreases and having missed out on having a litter may not help, but to be honest (yes I am a big softie) she can stay on here as a pet as she is just so lovely
But back to the question! I am only feeding her 1lb of sow rolls morning and evening and although both my neighbours are clearing out their polytunnels - so lots of greens, she will not eat them  (KKs are delighted though) and the ground that she is on is actually grassing over rather than being trashed!!! She grazes quite a bit though. She just seems to not act like a Tamworth 
Just wondered what your thought were and if you think she looks ok in the photo
Thanks
Pauline

[Fowgill Farm]

Not a tammy expert(raisinhall or lill will know best) but she looks fine to me especially for 6yrs old. Only 2lb of food a day sounds stingy to me as all my stock(GOS) including the old farts are on 1kg am & 1kg pm and thats me cutting them back (recalibrated measuring scoop) this explains why she's grazing, pigs don't really get much sustinencce from grass but its a good tummy filler so chances are she's a bit hungry. Go by eye is my best advice, if she seems happy enough go with your current regime, feeling for her backbone is usually a good guide, it should be feelable thro a layer of good fat, if you can't feel it she's too fat and if it sticks out like a skeleton she's too thin. Go with your gut instinct.
Don't worry about being a softie and keeping her as a pet, i still have an 8yr old boar, deaf, fires blanks, as cantankerous and as stubborn as they come but God love 'im he's still here! (and i don't mean OH!)
HTh mandy

[ppd]

Thanks Mandy you did make me laugh and I have a 15 year old cat who sounds like your boar, blind, castrated (so def blanks) cantankerous and stubborn - always under my feet in the kitchen and I can't even threaten him with being made into sausages But we love him
Her back feels just fine and ribs can be felt with medium pressure with the plam of my hand and personally I think she looks in good 'nick'. She is not however doing anything towards the ploughing up of my future polytunnel plot

[HappyHippy]

She looks good to me 
We had a Tamworth sow here for over a year without breeding from her, she'd have been about the same build as Matilda - she's due a litter around the end of Novemeber  So as long as you're keeping her slim the fertility shouldn't be affected by missing a litter.

If you're wanting February piglets (for weaning and selling on in April) get her to the boar soonish  I'd be tempted to up her feeding for 2 weeks pre, and 2 weeks post service and give her more feed during pregnancy - but obviously if she looks to be getting very heavy you can cut back a wee bit. The extra feeding around service helps to up litter numbers and increase embryo implantation 
Keep us posted 

[lill]

Hi ppd, your sow is in good nick for 6 yeARS old, she stands better on her feet than some show pigs i have seen, is she pedigree, what line is she? The amount of feed you are giving her alright and she is in good nick. 

[ppd]

Thanks yet again for replys
Karen I do need to find a boar soon and have a few contacts so  and good to hear that your tamworth is having piglets. Will up feed accordingly when the time comes
Lil unfortunately she is not registered. She is good on her feet and can move when she wants to.
The choice of boar may (because she is not registered) come down to what I can find up here. The previous owner crossed with GOS and said it made a good meat pig, but I will see what I can find
Love this forum for the help
 

[princesspiggy]

she looks alot like my dorothy, she is a big girl too (not meaning fat - but big built)
we will have a tamworth boar for stud in the spring when hes big enough if that helps at all.
 

[ppd]

Julia
Thanks but want to get weaners ready to go by spring   Matilda is big and I have to say incredibally long, which is a good thing!
Still want to come visit you when down seeing my parents ( last time I was down was for their golden wedding, so too many relatives to see to indulge myself in pigs !!) But when I get more time can I give you a shout?
Pauline x
 

[princesspiggy]

our dorothy always took well to ai and she is that build, just try it. its not difficult. the gos x tam piglets are v cute tho. 
yes u are v welcome to come over/down. just give us a shout!